Some South Asian cricket boards are not happy with the facilities and have voiced strong concerns about player accommodation and the cricket venue ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, set to begin on 19 September 2026. According to reports by Cricbuzz, the cricket associations of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are dissatisfied with the arrangements.
The Asian Games also include cricket and the men’s tournament is all set to begin from September 24 to October 3. The women’s competition will begin earlier, which will run from September 17 to 22.
The venue at Korogi Sports Park, a converted baseball facility, has been described as makeshift, with dressing rooms reportedly set up in tents and washrooms located around 500 metres away. The pitch, laid only recently, has undergone limited testing.
India, Pakistan among countries unhappy over facilities for 2026 Asian Games?
Accommodation is another major point of contention. Cricketers are due to stay in hotels in Nagoya, roughly 20 km from the ground. Officials have flagged that the rooms are extremely small, leaving little space for players to store kitbags and luggage when sharing.
The Asian Cricket Council is expected to send representatives to inspect the facilities. Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is considering sending a second-string side if standards do not improve, sources said. A source told ANI:
“BCCI and ACC are not happy with the facilities and arrangements in Japan, and the board will send an observer there.”
The source further told:
“The observer will submit its report to us. We told Japan Olympics officials during the ACC in a meeting that the dressing rooms were set up in tents and washrooms were just 500 m away from those tents, which has created an unsatisfying situation for the players.”
It was also revealed to the organisation that the hotel rooms were “really small”, raising major concerns.
Organisers of the Games have stated that accommodation has been secured for all registered athletes and officials, with competitors housed in hotels, temporary structures and a cruise ship rather than a traditional athletes’ village.
Cricket events at the Asian Games are scheduled to start shortly before the opening ceremony, with both men’s and women’s tournaments planned. The situation continues to develop as teams prepare for the multi-sport event.
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